Electronic apparatuses and electrical apparatuses such as desktop PCs (personal computers), notebook PCs, mobile phones, smart devices (e.g., smartphones) or tablet PCs usually incorporate a circuit board which contains electronic parts and another circuit board which contains other electronic parts.
The connectors disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-206771 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 5,250,450 are for connecting such two circuit boards, and are provided with a receptacle connector mounted on a circuit board (rigid board) and a plug connector mounted on another circuit board (rigid board).
The receptacle connectors disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-206771 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 5,250,450 are each provided with an insulator (receptacle insulator), a plurality of contacts (plurality of receptacle contacts) and a pair of metal fixing members (receptacle-side metal fixing members). The receptacle insulator is provided with an annular outer peripheral wall and a fitting recess formed inside the annular outer peripheral wall. The plurality of receptacle contacts are supported by the receptacle insulator to be aligned in the lengthwise direction of the receptacle connector. The pair of receptacle-side metal fixing members are fixed to the receptacle insulator by being press-fitted into mounting holes formed in the receptacle insulator. Each receptacle-side metal fixing member is provided with resilient contact portions which are resiliently deformable. Each receptacle contact can be mounted to a circuit pattern formed on a mounting surface of the associated circuit board, and each receptacle-side metal fixing member can be mounted to a ground pattern formed on the same mounting surface.
On the other hand, the plug connector is provided with an insulator (plug insulator), a plurality of contacts (plurality of plug contacts) and a pair of metal fixing members (plug-side metal fixing members). The plug insulator is provided with an annular projecting fitting portion capable of being fitted into the aforementioned fitting recess of the receptacle insulator. Each plug contact can be mounted to a circuit pattern formed on a mounting surface of the associated circuit board, and each plug-side metal fixing member can be mounted to a ground pattern formed on the same mounting surface.
Upon the projecting fitting portion of the plug connector being fitted into (connected to) the fitting recess of the receptacle connector, the plurality of plug contacts come into contact with the plurality of receptacle contacts, respectively, which establishes electrical continuity between electronic parts mounted on the circuit board on the receptacle connector side and electronic parts mounted on the circuit board on the plug connector side.
Upon the receptacle connector and the plug connector being connected, the plug-side metal fixing members come into contact with resilient contact portions of the receptacle-side metal fixing members and the receptacle-side metal fixing members and the plug-side metal fixing members become firmly engaged with each other, so that the engaged state between the receptacle connector and the plug connector is securely maintained. In addition, the operator can feel a tactile click upon each plug-side metal fixing member being engaged with the resilient contact portions of the associated receptacle-side metal fixing member.
In addition, since each receptacle-side metal fixing member has the resilient contact portions noted above, the receptacle-side metal fixing members and the plug-side metal fixing members are firmly engaged with each other even when the receptacle-side metal fixing members and the plug-side metal fixing members are re-connected to each other after being connected to and then disconnected from each other.
In the case where either the receptacle-side metal fixing members or the plug-side metal fixing members are provided with no resilient contact portions, the possibility of the receptacle-side metal fixing members and/or the plug-side metal fixing members getting scratched or damaged becomes high if only the receptacle connector and the plug connector are connected once. If the receptacle-side metal fixing members and/or the plug-side metal fixing members get scratched or damaged, the engaging force between each receptacle-side metal fixing member and the associated plug-side metal fixing member when the receptacle-side metal fixing members and the plug-side metal fixing members are re-connected to each other after being connected to and then disconnected from each other deteriorates, so that the force to hold an engaged state between the receptacle connector and the plug connector may deteriorate, and the operator may not be able to feel the tactile click.
In recent years, miniaturization (especially thickness reduction) of connectors has progressed with reduction in thickness of electronic and electric apparatuses, and accordingly, miniaturization of receptacle insulators and receptacle-side metal fixing members have also progressed.
In the structure in which receptacle-side metal fixing members are fixed to a receptacle insulator by press-fitting as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-206771 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 5,250,450, there is a possibility of the strength of the fixation of each receptacle-side metal fixing member to the receptacle insulator (the aforementioned mounting holes) becoming small. If this fixation strength becomes small, the separating resistance of the receptacle connector with respect to the associated circuit board, the force to hold an engaged state between the receptacle connector and the plug connector and the feeling of a tactile click that the operator feels upon connection between the receptacle connector and the plug connector decrease.
Additionally, the rigidity of the receptacle insulator easily decreases due to the shape of the receptacle insulator (the shape of the periphery of the aforementioned mounting holes, etc.) becoming so complicated that a thin-wall portion(s), etc., are formed. Accordingly, there is a possibility of the receptacle insulator being deformed or damaged when the receptacle connector and the connector are connected. Additionally, resin flowability (moldability) easily decreases due to the complicated shape of the receptacle insulator, which is not favorable in terms of productivity.